FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a construction of an integrated circuit of an information processing element simulating a neural network disclosed in "J. J. Hopfield et al., Science, 233, p 625 (1986)". In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a constitutional unit of a neuron, reference numeral 2 designates a resistor as a constitutional element of a neuron, reference numeral 3 designates a capacitor as a constitutional element of a neuron, reference numeral 4 designates an amplifier as a constitutional element of a neuron, reference numeral 5 designates a T.sub.ij representing the degree of interaction between neurons, reference numeral 6 designates an input line to the neuron, and reference numeral 7 designates an output line from the neuron.
The device will operate as follows.
The information which was input by the external signal is input to the neuron 1 through the input line 6 as an input of an information processing element, as an electric current for example. The input is junctioned with the output line 7 of the other neuron via the T.sub.ij 5 before it is input to the neuron 1, and the input current of initial stage is input to the neuron 1 influenced by these. The T.sub.ij is generally produced of a fixed resistor, and when an information processing element is produced, it is produced at the same time in the element. In neuron 1, the current value is converted into a voltage by resistor 2 and capacitor 3, and is amplified by amplifier 4, to output a signal of firing (+V) or a signal of suppression (-V). When the output of the neurons are made stable as the whole network, an object information which is considered to be most appropriate is obtained from the output value.
Since, the prior art information processing element shown in FIG. 1 is constituted as such, the neuron 1, the wiring portions 6 and 7, and T.sub.ij have to be previously produced in the element, and there are problems such that the number of neurons which can be integrated in the element is small and it is impossible to change the T.sub.ij to a different value.
FIG. 2 shows a stereoscopic resistor circuit for calculating the optical flow disclosed in "K. Koch et al., Neural Computers, Berlin, 1988, p.101". In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 shows an equivalent circuit when a light-electricity converter such as photodiode is subjected to a light irradiation. Reference numeral 12 designates a power supply existing in the equivalent circuit, reference numeral 13 designates a capacitor existing in the equivalent circuit, reference numeral 14 designates a resistor existing in the equivalent circuit, reference numerals 15 and 16 designate contact points of the stereoscopic resistor circuit, reference numeral 17 designates a resistor connecting between the contact points of the upper layer and the lower layer, reference numeral 18 designates a resistor connecting the respective contact points in the surface of upper layer and lower layer, and reference numeral 19 designates a switch provided in the resistor 18.
The operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 2 will be described.
The visual information of the object obtained by the photodiode 11 is input to the respective contact points 15 and 16 of the stereoscopic resistor circuit at the same time with some time interval. The voltage variation in the respective contact points 15 and 16 based on the variation of the light signal generated by the movement of the object disturbs the system of the circuit which has been stable thereby to transit to a new stable state. From the voltage values of the respective contact points 15 and 16 which have reached the stable state, velocity vectors of two-dimensional of X and Y directions are obtained. However, because the contour of the object becomes unclarified in this case, a switch 19 is provided so that a contour is produced at a reasonable position.
In the circuit shown in FIG. 2, since it is constituted as described above, it is difficult to produce the image sensor portion such as photodiode and the image signal processing portion in the same element, and to transmit the image signal in parallel, and further, it is difficult to construct a stereoscopic resistor circuit such as optical flow in the prior art semiconductor element.